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Basic Research and Citation Guide

Evaluation Criteria

Evaluating sources is asking questions about your sources instead of taking them at face value. Here are some essential questions you should ask to determine if a source is credible and appropriate for your research topic.

5 Ws of Evaluation: Who wrote it (and what are their credentials)? What kind of information is it? When was it written? Where did the author get their information (are their clear citations or discussion of research methods)? Why was it written and why should you use it?

 

Evaluating Sources for Credibility by NCSU Libraries 

Evaluating Websites by OSLIS Secondary